Natural hazards · Dedham

Dedham, ME natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Dedham comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 1 claim here since 2023. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Dedham?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Dedham to be higher than in 63% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and hurricanes.

Inland flooding59%Hurricanes16%Cold waves10%Everything else15%

By hazard

What Dedham faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

59% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 74% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Hurricanes

16% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 86% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 12 years in the area

Cold waves

10% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 47% of U.S. places

Recorded about 3 times a year in the area

Lower here

TornadoesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireEarthquakesLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Dedham flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Dedham, from FEMA’s records.

1paid claims since 2023

$7Kpaid to owners

0homes flooded more than once

20232026

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Dedham isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hancock County.

Disasters that hit Dedham

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Dedham itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the Town of Dedham.

Brought FEMA money into DedhamDeclared for Hancock County only

2024

Severe Storms and Flooding

5 households applied for aid $61K aid approved

2007

Flooding

$55K to the Town of Dedham for repairs

2005

Severe Storms, Flooding, Snow Melt, and Ice Jams

$31K to the Town of Dedham for repairs

2005

Record And/Or Near Record Snow

$2K to the Town of Dedham for repairs

Hancock County has had 19 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Dedham

Dedham and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Dedhammostly inland floodingHigh

Otismostly inland floodingHigh

Orlandmostly inland floodingModerate

Bucksportmostly inland floodingModerate

Ellsworthmostly inland floodingLow

Holdenmostly inland floodingLow

Eddingtonmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Dedham covers 1 census tract, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Dedham’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the Town of Dedham. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Dedham total about $1.1M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.